Waggener Begins Public Affairs Practice

BOSTON Independent PR shop Waggener Edstrom has brought aboard two executives to launch its new public affairs practice.

The new division, housed in the shop's Portland, Ore., and Seattle offices, was created to address client demands for government relations, issues management and policy services. "This is just another service we can bring to help clients speak to audiences other than the media and analysts," said senior vice president Corey duBrowa, who heads up the practice in Portland.

Joining the independent shop, which specializes in science and technology public relations, are senior vice presidents Matthew Reid and Diane Aboulafia-D'Jaen.

Reid will head Waggener Edstrom's U.S. public affairs practice in Portland. He joins the shop from Omnicom Group's Fleishman-Hillard in Portland, where he was vice president of the shop's corporate practice. Aboulafia-D'Jaen, who will lead the agency's international public affairs efforts in Seattle, joins from Grey Global Group's APCO Worldwide, where she was a senior member of the company's corporate consulting team.

Both Aboulafia-D'Jaen and Reid report to duBrowa.

Reid and Aboulafia-D'Jaen are now working on domestic and international public affairs efforts for longtime client Microsoft, addressing security and privacy issues and the spam epidemic. The agency hopes to expand the practice with other existing clients and eventually new accounts, according to duBrowa.

BOSTON Independent PR shop Waggener Edstrom has brought aboard two executives to launch its new public affairs practice.

The new division, housed in the shop's Portland, Ore., and Seattle offices, was created to address client demands for government relations, issues management and policy services. "This is just another service we can bring to help clients speak to audiences other than the media and analysts," said senior vice president Corey duBrowa, who heads up the practice in Portland.

Joining the independent shop, which specializes in science and technology public relations, are senior vice presidents Matthew Reid and Diane Aboulafia-D'Jaen.

Reid will head Waggener Edstrom's U.S. public affairs practice in Portland. He joins the shop from Omnicom Group's Fleishman-Hillard in Portland, where he was vice president of the shop's corporate practice. Aboulafia-D'Jaen, who will lead the agency's international public affairs efforts in Seattle, joins from Grey Global Group's APCO Worldwide, where she was a senior member of the company's corporate consulting team.

Both Aboulafia-D'Jaen and Reid report to duBrowa.

Reid and Aboulafia-D'Jaen are now working on domestic and international public affairs efforts for longtime client Microsoft, addressing security and privacy issues and the spam epidemic. The agency hopes to expand the practice with other existing clients and eventually new accounts, according to duBrowa.